http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with world news and current affairs that matter en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205744,dalai-lama-calls-for-greater-autonomy-for-tibet--summary.html Frankfurt - The Dalai Lama called Thursday for more cultural autonomy in his native Tibet but stressed that he did not want to see the territory become independent from China. The Tibetan spiritual leader met with with regional leaders at the start o... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 14:54:09 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205744,dalai-lama-calls-for-greater-autonomy-for-tibet--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205715,suicide-bomber-kills-16-afghans-wounds-28--summary.html Kabul - A suicide bomber attacked a convoy of police vehicles in south-western Afghanistan Thursday, killing 16 people, including a police commander, and wounding 28, provincial official said. The bomber, who was wearing women's clothes, killed four... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 13:17:12 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205715,suicide-bomber-kills-16-afghans-wounds-28--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205686,china-estimates-50000-dead-in-quake--summary.html Beijing - China on Thursday said more than 50,000 people were estimated to have died in the devastating earthquake that hit the south-western province of Sichuan on Monday. The government's disaster relief office announced the estimate via state medi... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 12:15:00 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205686,china-estimates-50000-dead-in-quake--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205677,china-allows-rescuers-from-japan-taiwan-into-quake-area--summary.html Beijing - China has agreed to allow Japan and Taiwan to send emergency rescue teams to help with efforts to save tens of thousands of people buried under rubble after a devastating earthquake, the government said Thursday. The Chinese government has... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 12:03:31 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205677,china-allows-rescuers-from-japan-taiwan-into-quake-area--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205676,afghan-foreign-forces-killed-200-civilians-this-year-un.html Kabul - A UN Human Rights official said on Thursday that Afghan and international forces in the country have killed at least 200 civilians during their operations, while in some incidents foreign intelligence services were also responsible for such d... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 11:57:02 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205676,afghan-foreign-forces-killed-200-civilians-this-year-un.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205669,myanmar-disaster-relief-underway-by-remote-control-from-bangkok.html Bangkok - Efforts to pump millions of dollars of emergency aid to Myanmar for an estimated 2 million people affected by Cyclone Nargis were still being handled largely by remote control out of Bangkok two weeks after the storm struck, aid officials... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 11:45:07 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205669,myanmar-disaster-relief-underway-by-remote-control-from-bangkok.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205663,seoul-seeks-talks-with-north-korea-about-food-aid-as.html Seoul - South Korea said Thursday that it was ready to hold talks with North Korea on sending food aid to its impoverished neighbour as the United Nations and aid agency warned it was facing famine. If there is an opportunity, we plan to have direct... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 11:25:03 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205663,seoul-seeks-talks-with-north-korea-about-food-aid-as.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205654,flood-risk-rises-along-rivers-in-quake-hit-china.html Beijing - A south-western Chinese town near the epicentre of Monday's devastating earthquake faced a growing risk of flood on Thursday, prompting troops to evacuate as many people as possible while they dug through rubble in the hope of rescuing some... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 10:54:04 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205654,flood-risk-rises-along-rivers-in-quake-hit-china.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205652,dalai-lama-calls-for-genuine-autonomy-for-tibet--update.html Frankfurt - The Dalai Lama called Thursday for genuine autonomy in his native Tibet but stressed that he did not want to see the territory become independent from China. Talks between his representatives and the Chinese government had failed to gen... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 10:48:03 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205652,dalai-lama-calls-for-genuine-autonomy-for-tibet--update.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205651,nuclear-companies-jostle-for-vietnamese-reactor-business--feature.html Hanoi - A French nuclear power export consortium made its case Thursday for Vietnam to turn to France for the two nuclear power plants it plans to build in the next decade as firms from five countries gathered at a nuclear power trade fair in Hanoi t... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 10:48:03 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205651,nuclear-companies-jostle-for-vietnamese-reactor-business--feature.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205642,china-quake-toll-rises-to-20000-army-helps-survivors--summary.html Beijing - The confirmed death toll from a devastating earthquake in south-western China rose to about 20,000 Thursday, as troops stepped up efforts to rescue survivors and get vital aid to tens of thousands of people in isolated towns and villages. T... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 10:06:01 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205642,china-quake-toll-rises-to-20000-army-helps-survivors--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205639,charter-flights-planned-for-taiwanese-stranded-after-china-quake.html Taipei - Taiwan said Thursday that it would send at least four charter flights to China to bring home about 1,700 Taiwanese stranded after a devastating earthquake there as two cargo charters loaded with relief supplies departed for China. After neg... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 09:59:00 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205639,charter-flights-planned-for-taiwanese-stranded-after-china-quake.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205633, no-second-cyclone-but-heavy-rains-threaten-myanmar--summary.html Bangkok - Cyclone-devastated Myanmar may have missed a second cyclone this month but with meteorologists predicting torrential rains in the coming week, disaster relief experts are preparing for the worse possible scenario, sources said Thursday. T... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 09:33:03 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205633, no-second-cyclone-but-heavy-rains-threaten-myanmar--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205630,chinas-military-steps-up-efforts-to-help-quake-survivors--update.html Beijing - Chinese troops on Thursday stepped up their efforts to rescue survivors of Monday's devastating earthquake and get vital aid to tens of thousands of people in isolated towns and villages in the south-western province of Sichuan. Dozens of e... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 09:33:03 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205630,chinas-military-steps-up-efforts-to-help-quake-survivors--update.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205615,china-allows-rescuers-from-japan-taiwan-into-quake-area--update.html Beijing - China has agreed to allow Japan and Taiwan to send emergency rescue teams to help with efforts to save tens of thousands of people buried under rubble after a devastating earthquake, the government said Thursday. The Chinese government has... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 08:40:06 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205615,china-allows-rescuers-from-japan-taiwan-into-quake-area--update.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205613,millions-of-indonesian-poor-to-receive-fuel-subsidies.html Jakarta - Anti-government rallies didn't abate Thursday as the Indonesian government was set to pay the equivalent of 1.55 billion dollars cash to about 19.1 million impoverished families to help them cope with the impact of planned fuel price hikes.... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 08:40:06 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205613,millions-of-indonesian-poor-to-receive-fuel-subsidies.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205612,death-toll-from-sinking-of-bangladeshi-ferry-rises-to-46.html Dhaka - The death toll from the sinking of a storm-battered ferry in central Bangladesh climbed to 46 when four more bodies were pulled from the swirling water overnight, officials and survivors said on Thursday. Forty-six bodies were salvaged from t... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 08:34:05 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205612,death-toll-from-sinking-of-bangladeshi-ferry-rises-to-46.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205611,myanmars-sham-referendum-ratifies-new-constitution.html Yangon - Myanmar's controversial referendum - held on May 10 in the wake of the destruction wrought by Cyclone Nargis - has ratified a constitution designed to cement the military's political power, with a 92.4 per cent yes vote, state media reported... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 08:28:06 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205611,myanmars-sham-referendum-ratifies-new-constitution.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205599,dalai-lama-begins-visit-to-germany.html Frankfurt - The Dalai Lama arrived in Germany on Thursday at the start of a five-day visit that includes a meeting with a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet in Berlin. The Tibetan spiritual leader attended a breakfast hosted by Roland Koch,... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 07:52:04 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205599,dalai-lama-begins-visit-to-germany.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205597,filipinos-warned-against-carrying-talismans-with-live-bullets.html Manila - The Philippine foreign department on Thursday warned Filipinos travelling abroad against wearing talismans and charms with live bullets. The Department of Foreign Affairs said a number of Filipino travellers have been detained in various cou... Asia,World Thu, 15 May 2008 07:46:00 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/205597,filipinos-warned-against-carrying-talismans-with-live-bullets.html